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Metal Protection

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A Growing Problem

One of the fastest growing crimes in the UK is metal theft. Copper, lead, stainless steel, aluminium and scrap iron are being targeted by thieves looking to cash in quickly. An increase in demand for these metals from Asian markets has created a thriving international scrap trade, driving prices sky-high. Copper theft is of particular concern, with thieves targeting gas pipes, electrical wiring, copper cable, lightning conductors and flashing that can all be stripped from void properties, industrial buildings, offices, building sites and even public areas. The metal is then sold on to scrap yard dealers for profit.

Taking Action Against Metal Theft

SelectaDNA has developed two solutions to counter metal theft: Trace and Grease. SelectaDNA Trace is an aerosol that invisibly marks your metal with thousands of unique microdots, while Grease is a transferable, DNA-based solution that marks criminals for what they are.

Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Metal theft costs the UK economy an estimated £770 million per year. And this figure will only increase unless serious measures are taken to combat this type of crime. We understand that the theft of metal from infrastructure is more than just an issue of costs; it can lead to major disruptions in services and create serious safety concerns. That is why so many organisations have turned to SelectaDNA to help protect their infrastructure. Our products have been used to protect everything from lead roofing to manhole covers and SelectaDNA Trace has been used by major train operators all over Europe to protect their tracks, including Network Rail in the UK, ProRail in The Netherlands and Deutsche Bahn in Germany. Over the course of 12 months, use of SelectaDNA Trace, in conjunction with other security measures, helped reduce cable theft on Network Rail’s Anglia route by 82% and helped cut delays by 86%.

At the Forefront of Detection Methods

If your metal is stolen then it becomes critical that police are able to easily identify it as stolen, identify it as yours and bring the thief to justice. Once your metal is marked with SelectaDNA it will glow under UV light, which allows police officers to identify the goods as stolen. With SelectaDNA Trace police are able to use our scanning equipment to instantaneously identify who the metal belongs to through the microdots. This allows for faster and simpler recovery of your property. Once identified as being marked with SelectaDNA (in the case of Grease), or holding property marked with it (in the case of Trace), the criminal is irrefutably linked to the crime and police can gain a conviction more easily. SelectaDNA is also the only forensic marking company to have a specially trained sniffer dog, who can detect SelectaDNA in scrapyards, vehicles and on people and who has assisted the Police in operations such as Operation Tornado and Operation Ferrous.

The DNA Fear Factor

The true power of SelectaDNA’s range of metal protection solutions comes from the fear criminals have of it. Potential thieves know that if they are caught with metal marked with SelectaDNA, or if they themselves are marked with it, then the police are able to connect them directly to a particular theft and they will almost certainly be convicted. Furthermore, once metal has been marked, its resale value to the criminal plummets, offering another reason why stealing your metal isn’t worth the risk; SelectaDNA metal protection products have reduced cases of metal theft by 100% in certain cases. For the deterrent effect to work, would-be-thieves need to know that your metal is marked and so all of our kits come with warning signs letting criminals know what they’re up against.

If you would like to discuss your metal protection requirements then please call us on 01689 860757 or email [email protected]